Author Topic: New exhaust for the FT (Read 52959 times)

Lefty · « **on:** June 16, 2014, 04:18:41 pm »

Here's a couple of shots of the test fitting.
I'm using the hanger from the OE muffler, but am going to have to modify it a little.
Let's see if these load...

J6G1Z · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2014, 08:50:39 pm »

Looks nice!

That sure looks like a clean bike you have there. Are you just going to run a strap from the passenger peg down to the muffler? That's what I ended up doing. It works real well & looks good.

J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #2 on:** June 17, 2014, 02:27:52 am »

Run a strap, for the love of god run some sort of hanger.

Also, I love it, I kinda regret buying the 4-stroke universal Supertrapp and not saving up for the one you got.

Lefty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2014, 06:16:05 am »

I thought about using a strap, but I am set on a welded hanger on the back side- the one from the original will work, I just need to stretch it a little.
J6- the bike looks better in a photo, at first glance in person it looks pretty good, but as you get closer you notice a lot of flaws/rash/rust.
The lock was broken off the tank, the PO spilled brake fuid all over the frame & both calipers, the speedo has road rash where it was droppe.
I just replaced the handle bars, which were tweaked & rust. All and all it's a solid bike, but far from cherry.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2014, 11:32:05 am »

Still looks like a very solid foundation to build a great bike out of.

Too bad about the sloppy handling of the brake fluid. That stuff does not mess around. I bought some aluminum parts that someone had spray painted black. I submerged them in a bucket of mineral spirits for a few days to remove the paint. After about half a week I could tell that something else needed to be done as the mineral spirits wasn't lifting the paint that well. I had half a bottle of brake fluid that had been laying around, so I added that to the bucket. The next day almost all the paint had lifted. After about an hour or so with a parts brush the parts were all clean.

Keep up the good work & please post up more pics of your bike & the modifications.

J.

PS. Here are a couple of pics that show the simple muffler support strap that I'm using.

Lefty · « **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2014, 04:34:43 pm »

That's pretty tidy, I thought you were talking about a wrap around type of strap. What do you have it attached to on the back side?

J6G1Z · « **Reply #6 on:** June 17, 2014, 07:21:51 pm »

The backside of the muffler has a "channel" welded to it, that a nut & bolt slide up & down through. Somewhat like the chain locks that some folks have on their doors. The head of the bolt fits through a hole on one end & then slides up & down the channel to allow you to line everything up. The strap is simply strap steel (that was chromed) & just has a hole on each end for a bolt. I'd try to make one out of aluminum strap & maybe drill a few holes down the length of it. You just have to make sure that the holes all line up & are the same distance apart. Here is a chance to fabricate something custom.

Good luck
J.

scottly · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2014, 10:06:05 pm »

I fabricated a brace from some 1/16" aluminum, and pop-riveted it to my muffler.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2014, 10:16:22 am »

That's a real clean looking mounting bracket!

Good job.

J.

Lefty · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2014, 05:38:11 pm »

It's been quite a while since I last touched base here- Here's what I've done; I am using the OE bracket & channel with the 2 studs( I cut the channel off with a grinder and welded it to the Supertrapp) and the center stand stand off with the rubber footie the center stand rests on when up.
My welding is atrocious, so this weekend I'm dropping it off to a realwelder to get everything done right.
The fitting was a little hairy, I had to enlarge the bottom holes on the hanger bracket & (temporarily)washer out the top of the hanger which required a longer bolt- I believe I have a spacer at work that is close to what I need.
Let's see if these photos wor

Lefty · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2014, 05:39:48 pm »

J6, as you can see, she's no beauty queen!

J6G1Z · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2014, 09:20:08 pm »

That's a nice, tight, fitting! Looks real good!

If you want to hide the fact that you can't weld the greatest while still looking like a master fabricator. Just lay down a nice tack on each end & then let your welder buddy fill in the rest.

Keep up the good work. Let's see some pics of the rest of the exhaust & bike.

Thanks
J.

mattard · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2014, 03:09:16 pm »

I knew a mechanic that said,"grinder and paint, makes a welder what he ain't"

Lefty · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2014, 05:10:00 pm »

I just spoke to my buddy who has the SuperTrapp & his welder is still too busy to finish the job.
I'm giving it another week, if he can't get to it, I'm going to get it back and finish it myself.
At this point, the FT is my only running street legal machine and it's bee 6 weeks or better since I've ridden it. As most of you know, I've also replaced the OE jets with the recommended ones from Mark(and J6's advice from this great forum), did the air filter burn up/ replace with sea green air filter foam. I also replaced the rear shocks(still need to get springs for the front). All this was done while waiting for the weld job, I haven't ridden it with all the stuff I've done & I am ready to ride!
Hopefully I'll be back on the road in 2 weeks with a ride report.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2014, 05:46:21 pm »

That's far too long to wait for a +/-6" bead to be laid down. I'd have taken it somewhere else a long time ago. Any welding or muffler shop should be able to take care of that for a few bucks.

Good luck
J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2014, 11:48:36 pm »

Six weeks? Forget that. I'd be pretty upset if I were you, it really only seems like a 30min job at most.

Lefty · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2014, 07:36:26 pm »

I finally have the muffler, here's a shot of the welds.
Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow to get it all back together, I'll post up when I do.
I remember reading a post here by J6 about proper header break in, can you link me to it or explain it again?

J6G1Z · « **Reply #17 on:** August 24, 2014, 08:41:19 pm »

It's not so much a header break in, it's a ceramic coating break in. Works for painted headers also. Basically you start the engine & let it run for a few seconds to begin warming the coating & then shut it down & let it cool off. Repeat the process several times while increasing the run time each time. This is supposed to cure the coating instead of burning it.

J.

Lefty · « **Reply #18 on:** August 24, 2014, 09:39:49 pm »

Thanks for that info J6.
I just got done mocking it up, I used washers for spacers, but I've got a stainless spacer I'm going to use.
My friend's welder also missed the hanger, which was in a paper bag in the SuperTrapp box, arrrghh.
You can see one of the seams in this shot, I am taking it to work tomorrow & welding it myself(I've been practicing!). More soon

Lefty · « **Reply #19 on:** August 26, 2014, 11:15:23 am »

I am finally finished! The bike runs out real nice, no hesitation at all, and the SuperTrapp sounds really nice, I went with 5 discs and the tone is pretty much spot on. Now I need to remove the cap screws and apply the copper anti-seize.
Here's a pic

J6G1Z · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2014, 11:24:39 am »

That looks like a nice, tight install. It's hard to beat a Super-Trapp if you can afford one.

Good job!
J.

Lefty · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2014, 11:51:10 am »

Thanks, it was expensive, but worth it.
I tried to attach anothe picture, but I was told I have already attached it? I am unable to attach more shots, but I will keep trying!

J6G1Z · « **Reply #22 on:** August 26, 2014, 04:18:11 pm »

I've never run into that problem before.

You might have to change the identification name, or number, of the file so it's not the same as one that you've already used.

Please let me know if you keep having any problems.

J.

Lefty · « **Reply #23 on:** August 27, 2014, 01:15:41 pm »

I'm guessing it was loading while I was trying to re attach it, crappy signal, I guess.
Here's one more

J6G1Z · « **Reply #24 on:** August 27, 2014, 02:07:05 pm »

How old is that front tire?

How well does the bike run now? The Pipe looks real good.

J.

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Author Topic: New exhaust for the FT (Read 52959 times)